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How To Hire Video Game Executives
Robert Travis
With 25+ years in executive search, I have witnessed Boyden’s executive search process for most leadership roles in multiple video game companies such as Ubisoft, EA, Sony, Zynga, Edios, and more. What makes a great leader in the video game industry is someone who can observe and use the advancements in the space to create unique never seen experiences, monetization methods & go-to-market strategies.
Therefore it’s fundamental to success that you have leadership that lives and breathes video games, technology, business, and everything ancillary to the industry, so that they can move the industry forward. This is essential to creating and running the largest video game businesses in the industry. So how do you hire C-level executives & senior managers in the video game industry? Let’s Explore!
I also have a guide on how to hire executives in the gaming/gambling industry which may interest some of you!
Develop an internal Search Team
With every executive search It’s paramount you establish an internal team of leadership to help decide the requirements of your new hire. Doing this alone leans the choice heavily on your biases, which will most likely lead to you finding a person with a poor fit for your whole company.
So make sure to include the people in your leadership team they will work with most, a representative from your directors, and a leader from the department they will be leading in the decision-making process. As a team, you can fully identify the knowledge gap in your business and the key requirements you need from your new hire.
What are the Ambitions of your Company?
The ethos of each video company and its goals are extremely different. Whether it be a public company where maximizing revenues/profits is their fiduciary duty making live service games. Or independent studios who have a creative vision and final product, they desire to create and release, then repeat the process with their next game.
And this is before you account for the significantly different markets and go-to-market strategies for the mobile and console/pc markets differ extremely.
The scale and stage of your business also impact this, so it’s important to establish this for your business with your current leadership.
Create the job description for the role
Having established your business’s positions, ambitions, and desires in a new hire you should write it down in a detailed and compelling job description. Selling the role, the company, and its vision. Top talent in the video games industry knows they are in high demand, so they have a choice of where to go. You need to make sure you make your business appear to be a fulfilling, rewarding, and interesting place to work.
I recommend looking at job advertisements for the same role in other businesses, to see what the standard is. Use them as a benchmark and make an active effort to make a more compelling job description. This alone can be what gets you a much larger range of high-quality talent, as they understand better what working for you will look like.
This also makes the job easier for the people reaching out to candidates such as executive search firms or internal recruiters. As they understand the role better themselves. Being able to use their time to better target candidates, and sell the role better to them.
Check out my guides if you are looking for guidance on hiring C-level Executive roles or hiring senior managers. I have a wide range of more specific guides such as how to hire a CTO, how to hire a CHRO, how to hire a president, and more!
Partner with an Executive Search Firm
Executive Search is a long and complicated task. Sometimes taking up to 3+ months. Outsourcing this work to a search firm like Boyden offloads this demanding task from your leadership, while expediting the search process for the business, all while getting you more high-quality candidates for your business to choose from.
As I said before, Boyden has significant expertise in executive search for c-level and senior management roles in global video games companies. My colleagues are responsible for many key placements around the world. So please Contact me If you would like help with your executive search I can connect you to the right specialist at Boyden to help you with your unique executive search needs. We can even help you with a confidential executive search. Helping you replace underperforming incumbent leaders.
Not sure if an executive search firm is right for you? Fill in my questionnaire: can executive search benefit your business? to see if it can!
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Need Expert Executive Search Help?
As a Managing Partner at Boyden, I can personally help you or connect you to a member or group of our global search team who would be best suited to help you and your company’s precise executive search needs.
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Want Professional Executive Search help for any industry globally?
As a Managing Partner at Boyden, I can assist you personally or refer you to a member or group of our global search team who is best suited to assist you and your company's specific executive search needs.